You are here:

Nausea and Vomiting, Age 12 and Older

Topic Overview

Nausea is a sick feeling in the pit of your
stomach. When you are nauseated, you may feel weak and sweaty and have too much
saliva in your mouth. You may even vomit. This forces your stomach contents up
your esophagus and out of your mouth. Most of the time,
nausea and vomiting are not serious. Home treatment will often help you feel
better.

Nausea and vomiting can be a symptom of another illness.
Nausea and vomiting may be caused by:

Illness caused by a virus, such as viral stomach
illness (gastroenteritis).

Pain, pressure, or a
strange feeling in the back, neck, jaw, or upper belly, or in one or both
shoulders or arms.

Lightheadedness or sudden
weakness.

A fast or irregular heartbeat.

The more of these symptoms you have, the more likely it is that
you're having a heart attack. Chest pain or pressure is the most common
symptom, but some people, especially women, may not notice it as much as other
symptoms. You may not have chest pain at all but instead have shortness of breath, nausea, numbness,
tingling, or a strange feeling in your chest or other areas.

Shock is a life-threatening condition that may occur quickly
after a sudden illness or injury.

Symptoms of shock in a child may include:

Passing out.

Being very sleepy or hard
to wake up.

Not responding when being touched or talked to.

Breathing much faster than usual.

Acting confused.
The child may not know where he or she is.

Shock is a life-threatening condition that may quickly occur
after a sudden illness or injury.

Symptoms of shock (most of which will be present) include:

Passing out.

Feeling very dizzy or
lightheaded, like you may pass out.

Feeling very weak or having
trouble standing.

Not feeling alert or able to think clearly. You
may be confused, restless, fearful, or unable to respond to questions.

Many nonprescription and prescription medicines can cause
nausea or vomiting. A few examples are:

Antibiotics.

Antidepressants.

Aspirin, ibuprofen (such as Advil or
Motrin), and naproxen (such as Aleve).

Medicines used to treat
cancer (chemotherapy).

Narcotic pain
medicines.

Vitamins and mineral supplements, such as iron.

Starting a new medicine or increasing the dose can cause nausea
and vomiting. Nausea and vomiting also may mean that there is too much medicine
in your body, even if you took it properly.

Severe dehydration means:

Your mouth and eyes may be extremely
dry.

You may pass little or no urine for 12 or more
hours.

You may not feel alert or be able to think
clearly.

You may be too weak or dizzy to stand.

You may
pass out.

Moderate dehydration means:

You may be a lot more thirsty than
usual.

Your mouth and eyes may be drier than usual.

You may
pass little or no urine for 8 or more hours.

You may feel dizzy
when you stand or sit up.

Mild dehydration means:

You may be more thirsty than usual.

You may pass less urine than usual.

Severe vomiting can mean that:

You vomit more than 10 times in 24
hours.

For at least 24 hours, you vomit every time you try to drink
something.

The vomit shoots out in large amounts and with great
force.

You can get dehydrated when
you lose a lot of fluids because of problems like vomiting or fever.

Symptoms of dehydration can range from mild to severe. For
example:

You may feel tired and edgy (mild dehydration), or
you may feel weak, not alert, and not able to think clearly (severe
dehydration).

You may pass less urine than usual (mild
dehydration), or you may not be passing urine at all (severe
dehydration).

If you're not sure if a fever is high, moderate, or mild,
think about these issues:

With a high fever:

You feel very hot.

It is likely one of
the highest fevers you've ever had. High fevers are not that common, especially
in adults.

With a moderate fever:

You feel warm or hot.

You know you have
a fever.

With a mild fever:

You may feel a little warm.

You think
you might have a fever, but you're not sure.

Temperature varies a little depending on how you measure it.
For adults and children age 12 and older, these are the ranges for high,
moderate, and mild, according to how you took the temperature.

Oral (by mouth) temperature

High:
104°F (40°C) and
higher

Moderate:
100.4°F (38°C) to
103.9°F (39.9°C)

Mild:
100.3°F (37.9°C) and
lower

Ear or rectal temperature

High:
105°F (40.6°C) and
higher

Moderate:
101.4°F (38.6°C) to
104.9°F (40.5°C)

Mild:
101.3°F (38.5°C) and
lower

Armpit (axillary) temperature

High: 103°F (39.5°C) and higher

Moderate:
99.4°F (37.4°C) to
102.9°F (39.4°C)

Mild: 99.3°F (37.3°C) and lower

Try Home Treatment

You have answered all the questions. Based on your answers, you may be
able to take care of this problem at home.

Try home treatment to relieve the
symptoms.

Call your doctor if symptoms get worse or you have any
concerns (for example, if symptoms are not getting better as you would expect).
You may need care sooner.

Take an
over-the-counter antinausea medicine, such as
meclizine (Antivert or Bonine) or dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), or an
antihistamine, such as Benadryl. Don't give
antihistamines to your child unless you've checked with the doctor
first.

Try acupressure:

Place the tip of your right index finger on
the underside of your left wrist, about
1.5 in. (4 cm) from your hand.
Acupressure points are very small, so you may need to try this method more than
one time.

After vomiting has stopped for 1 hour, drink
1 fl oz (30 mL) of a clear
liquid every 20 minutes for 1 hour. Clear liquids include apple or grape
juice mixed to half strength with water, rehydration drinks, weak tea with
sugar, clear broth, and gelatin dessert. Avoid orange juice, grapefruit juice,
tomato juice, and lemonade. Avoid apple and grape juice if you also have
diarrhea. Do not drink milk products, alcohol, or carbonated drinks such as
sodas.

If you do not have any more vomiting, increase the amount
of fluid you drink to
8 fl oz (240 mL) during the
second hour. If you are not vomiting after the second hour, make sure that you
continue to drink enough to prevent dehydration.

When you are
feeling better, begin eating clear soups, mild foods, and liquids until all
symptoms are gone for 12 to 48 hours. Gelatin dessert, dry toast, crackers, and
cooked cereal are good choices. Try to stay away from strong food odors, which
can make nausea worse.

The acid in vomit can erode dental enamel and cause tooth
decay (cavities). Rinse your mouth with water after you
vomit. Brush your teeth if you can.

Not smoking. Smoking irritates the lining of your nose,
sinuses, and lungs, which may increase your risk for problems from a viral
illness.

You can help prevent influenza by getting
immunized with an influenza vaccine each year, as soon as it's available. The "flu shot" is given by injection. This form of the
vaccine prevents most cases of the flu.

Even if a flu shot does not
prevent the flu, the vaccine can make your flu symptoms milder and decrease the
risk of problems from the flu.

This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use.
How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.